Bringing your world to life: A guide to scene descriptions and the five senses

As a professional editor, I sometimes come across scenes that, while technically well-written, fall short of immersing readers in the story. One common issue is a lack of sensory detail, leaving the world feeling flat or distant. Good world-building is not just about creating intricate lore or elaborate backstories—it’s about bringing your scenes to life to help your readers to feel as though they’re right there in the thick of the action alongside your characters.

Describing a scene isn’t just about narrating what the character sees to your readers; it’s about using all five senses to create a rich, immersive environment. Let’s look at how to tap into the five senses and other key techniques that can help make your story’s world feel vivid, engaging and alive.

The five senses—sight, sound, smell, taste and touch—are the building blocks of a compelling scene. They create a multi-dimensional experience for the reader, drawing them deeper into the story and evoking a strong sense of place. Let’s evaluate these senses one by one:

Sight

Sight is the most commonly used sense in writing for good reason—it’s a primary way we experience the world. However, effective visual descriptions are about more than just listing what a character sees. Think about:

• Colour and light: Is the room dim and shadowy or filled with bright, harsh fluorescent light? The quality of light can influence the mood of a scene.

• Movement and detail: Are the trees swaying gently, or is the wind whipping their branches about? Focus on the details that draw attention to the action or convey a particular feeling.

• Perspective and focus: What does your character notice first? The things a character chooses to focus on can reveal a lot about their state of mind or the scene's atmosphere.

Sound

Sound is a powerful tool for setting the scene and providing clues about the environment. It’s often used to indicate mood or foreshadow events.

• Ambient noise: Is the scene filled with background noise, like the distant hum of traffic, the rustle of leaves or the murmur of a crowded room? Ambient sounds can establish the scene’s context.

• Sudden sounds: Think about what breaks the silence—a door creaking, footsteps approaching or a clock ticking. These can add tension or draw attention to a particular moment.

• Character reactions: How does the character respond to sound? Are they covering their ears because of loud noises, straining to hear a distant conversation or feeling calmed by the sound of rain all show how sounds can affect their state of mind.

Smell

Smell is closely linked to memory and emotion, making it a valuable tool for deepening a scene. It’s also less frequently used in writing, so incorporating it can make your descriptions stand out.

• Associations and memories: A familiar scent can evoke past experiences or emotions like the smell of pine reminding a character of childhood holidays.

• Environment indicators: Smells can also indicate the quality of a setting—freshly baked bread might suggest a cosy kitchen, while the stench of decay could hint at something more sinister.

Taste

While taste may not always be directly relevant to a scene, it can still be incorporated in ways that add depth.

• (Most obviously) eating and drinking scenes: Describe the flavours and textures to make the experience more vivid—bitter coffee, spicy soup or sweet pastries.

• Tastes in the air: Sometimes, the sense of taste can be sensed without actually eating anything, like tasting salt in the air near the ocean or tasting blood after biting one’s lip.

Touch

The sense of touch can help to ground your reader in the physical space of the story. It’s a way to connect characters to their surroundings and experiences.

• Textures: Rough, smooth, sharp or soft surfaces can convey a lot about the setting or objects in the scene. For example, the rough texture of a crumbling brick wall can evoke a sense of decay or even discomfort.

• Temperature and pressure: Is the air chilly or humid? Is the character’s skin prickling with goosebumps or are they sweating? These details can enhance the atmosphere.

• Sensations on the body: Describe how the world interacts with the character’s body—wind pushing against them, the sun warming their skin or the burn of cold air in their lungs.

The goal is to integrate sensory details seamlessly into the narrative, not to just list sensory details out one by one, which can overwhelm readers. Instead:

• Prioritise the most relevant senses: Think about which senses would be most prominent in that particular moment. A scene in a forest might emphasise the smell of pine, the crunch of leaves and the feeling of cool air—rather than focusing on taste.

• Use sensory details to reflect the character’s state of mind: If a character is anxious, they might notice details that heighten that feeling, like the creaking floorboards or the sound of their own breath. If they’re relaxed, they may focus on softer, more comforting sensations.

Sensory details are a powerful way to “show, not tell” in your writing. Instead of saying, “The room was creepy,” you could convey that feeling through the senses:

As I breathed out, the puff of air that escaped my lungs visibly spun through the air before me. Goosebumps puckered my flesh, and the walls smelled faintly of damp. Behind me, the flickering lights audibly intoned an electrical whirring every few seconds, and each time the room was cast in darkness, I felt my lungs constrict.

Using sensory details allows readers to experience the “creepiness” for themselves, rather than just telling them how to feel.

Different sensory details can help establish the tone and mood of your scenes.

• A tranquil scene: “The garden was quiet except for the gentle buzz of bees. The scent of lavender hung in the warm air and the soft grass tickled her bare feet.”

• A tense scene: “The metallic taste of fear coated his tongue. He could hear the faint dripping of water somewhere nearby, and the cold air bit into his skin as if warning him to turn back.”

While the five senses are a great starting point, world-building extends beyond them and incorporating additional details will really help to bring your world to life. Remember, an immersive world will help your reader to connect with your story and characters better, creating that can’t-put-down feeling we love about reading so much.

• How characters interact with their environment: How do characters use the objects around them? Are there cultural details or societal norms that shape how they interact with certain places or things?

• Season and weather: Changes in weather or time of year can alter the sensory details and atmosphere of a scene.

• Time and place: Setting descriptions can hint at the history or significance of a place, adding depth to your world-building.

Sensory details are excellent for helping to enrich your scene and add new layers to your storytelling, however, too many of them can overload readers, meaning your beautiful descriptions are no longer having the desired effect. It’s important to aim for balance when crafting your story’s world.

• Focus on a few key details: Choose a handful of sensory details that are most impactful for the scene.

• Vary your descriptions: Avoid using the same sense repeatedly or describing things in the same way. Keep it fresh by choosing different sensory details for different scenes.

To practice, take a scene you’ve already written and challenge yourself to add at least one detail for each of the five senses and notice how these additions change the scene’s tone and atmosphere. Are there senses that seem more relevant or effective for the setting? What details do the characters notice, and why?

World-building isn’t just about creating distant lands or elaborate histories, it’s about making each scene come alive through vivid sensory details that draw the reader in. By paying attention to sight, sound, smell, taste and touch, you can craft scenes that are not only visually appealing but resonate on a deeper level, adding complexity to your characters, world and overall storytelling.

Happy writing!